Thursday, December 23, 2010

Ornaments. The Homemade Kind

For several years my friend Kristen has been inviting The SM and I to an ornament party. The ornaments have to be handmade and an exchange like none other takes place.

Before the war begins (and you think I am kidding), we are all made comfy and cozy like with good food and conversation. Then, things start to get edgy, the guests start to squirm, and Kristen declares it is time.

The ornaments which are all gift wrapped, are placed in the center of the room. Normally, we are civilized folks. Really truly. What happens next.... well, it's quite a frenzy and when it is all over we return to being civilized and wish each other a Merry Christmas and the hope of seeing them again the following year at the next ornament party!

The rules. There are many and each year I swear a new one is added. Bottom line. We each get a number. The person who drew number one goes first. They open an ornament. We ooh and aahhh. The ornament gets passed around so we can all see which one we want desperately to steal and take home. The next person goes. They can either steal the ornament person number one opened or they can open a new one. Third owner of an ornament gets to keep it. And so it goes. Much strategy involved, emotions get to come into play (I've not played that card yet, but give me two years and when Brennan leaves on his mission you can bet I'll pull out that card and every mother in that room will understand and if I play it right, I'll come home with the entire caboodle of ornaments!).

Kristen gives a good description of her party here. This is from last years party and if she would quit being lazy and write up a post about this years..... you'd be more up to date but...... last I heard she was out gallivanting around town having lunch with her friends. I'm not fibbing! I'm telling the truth! I saw it with my very own eyes! I was witness to the entire adventure!

So, I bring you to this year's ornaments. This is The SM's. We both make two of what we make. One for the party. One for our tree. I think this sled is adorable. He cut the metal and shaped the little sled runners, sanding the edges until they were smooth, then painted them red. The little wood slats are so tiny. Hard to see in this photo but it is just the littlest cutest sled and reminds me of one I had exactly like it growing up.

My ornament. These photos are for you Linda! It is absolutely amazing to me the amount of hours people put into doing tutorials for the rest of us inept people. I am so grateful to these people. Because of Linda's tutorial on these little sweater ornaments, I was able to make one too!

And thank you Kristen for teaching me to felt. The snowman is felted on the front of the sweater. How does one describe felting...... You use this barbaric little needle that has barbs on it and stab the wadding to death! :) Seriously! You take little pieces of fibers and with the needle stab it into what ever you want the felting on. In my case, the front of the sweater. I put a sponge in the inside of the sweater and then started stabbing the colored fibers where I wanted them and where I didn't want them. The carrot nose I was trying to make for some reason kept wanting to slide across the snowman's face..... much yelling and cussing and this is what you end up with! Piece of cake as Kristen says..... Riiiiiiight!

11 comments:

Babe!! You are a NATURAL with the barbs. And I'd have my thing up right now if my server hadn't just gone catatonic. (and if I hadn't finished an hour ago, only to paste an OLD back-up over what I'd just spent an hour and a half doing). Grrrr. Both of your ornaments were al dente!! (No, I haven't bitten them.)

I love those ornaments! The sleigh is so cute, what a work of art, you can congratulate SM for a job well done :-) And the sweater!!!!! To adorable! I love your snowman. Brilliant needle felting! I saw Linda's tutorial for that sweater and thought about it as a maybe for next year, I will have to start my cards in June if I do!!!

Kristen, Yes, I am a natural with barbs aren't I? :D I'm glad your server decided to wake up because your post is wonderful and it is so fun to see all of the ornaments again. So much talent in that room!!

Jenni, You could do it!! They don't take long at all, well, excepting the felting part but only if your snowman's nose tries to slide across his face like mine did.... or his hat turn into a huge Abe Lincoln stove pipe hat and you need Kristen to come and tame it a bit..... Take a hop, skip, and a jump across the ocean and have Kristen show you how to do it. :D

LOL! :D I love you, Rachel! You are just the kind of person I would LOVE to have for a neighbor! You are fun, funny, sassy, interesting, talented (YES YOU ARE!), kind... and since I'm sure you're blushing I'll bive it a rest and just stop there. ;)

PS I love your ornament, and your husbands! And, I love your friend's party idea; I think I'll adopt it myself as a new tradition starting next year! :D Thanks for sharing!!! :D

I hope you had a really great Christmas (you deserve it) and an even better New Year! ;)

PS I read your caroloing blog... and I'm sorry to say that this is the first year we didn't carol. :( OH well. :) As long as we get to visit the assisted living homes, I'm sure we will get some caroling in here and there! :D Last year we sang to the residents as they ate their dinner. I got all theatrical, and had a BLAST! :D My boys were DYING! But the residents LOVED it! :D

Corine, Actually, I think I should be YOUR neighbor beings as you live in a part of the country that I would just LOVE to live in.... We'd make smashing neighbors no doubt about it. I love ya too sista!!!

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Hi! I'm The Mum, married to The Sexy Scout Master (SM). We've been married many moons and in that time have had seven offspring (The Natives). One of The Natives Levi, has AHC, is mentally handicapped, and on the autism spectrum. I've been battling West Nile Virus for eight years now and counting. Sometimes I win......and sometimes it wins......when it does.........I nurse my wounds in chocolate and go shopping on the internet for more shoes!